Am I the only one that sometimes gets to the end of summer and is amazed at how quickly the days flew by? I am often left feeling like I didn't take adavantage of all the quality time I could have spent with my kids! I think part of the reason I feel as though some of my days are "wasted" is because I didn't plan anything for us to do!! How often do you get up, let the kids turn on the tv while you do a few chores and then, before you know it, it's time for lunch and naps and the whole day is gone?!
This summer, I've decided to be a little more pro-active! I've made a list of easy, inexpensive things that the kids and I can do together this summer. Some involve travel while others don't. Some require more parental-supervision than others. In any case, each day that we have "free," I can just simply pick an activity from the list and let the fun begin!! Most of these activities can be done with items you probably already have around the house. However, if you don't have it, you can most likely pick it up at your local dollar store or Michael's (use a coupon, of course!!).
SUMMER-FUN ACTIVITIES!
-Visit the local park
-Go to the library to check out new books once a month (Check with your local branch for story-time hours for a free, fun activity for your kids!)
-Feed the ducks at the local duck pond (I keep a bag on top of the microwave that I throw stale bread in so we can take it with us!)
-Fill up buckets of water outside and let the kids "paint" the sidewalk, porch, house, etc. with paintbrushes
-Paint with watercolors (less messy than other paints & are inexpensive)
-Make your own popsicles (Pour your favorite juice/drink mix into ice cube trays. Cover with plastic wrap. Stick toothpicks in the top and freeze.)
-Bake cookies from scratch
-Make your own board game (Buy a piece of posterboard from your local dollar store and create a "path" on it. divide the path into boxes. write in directions on some of the boxes such as: "loose a turn," "move ahead 2 spaces," etc. Use game pieces/spinners from another board game or make your own! Let the kids decorate the game!)
-Play with playdough
-Draw in shaving cream (Squirt shaving cream onto a metal cookie sheet & spread it out. Let kids "draw" in it with their fingers! You can also do this on the bathtub wall for a fun bathtime activity.)
-Have a dress-up day! (Find old clothes, hats, scarves, etc. and have a fashion show!)
-Host a book exchange (Let your kids invite their friends over. Each child brings 2 books to trade. This allows you to get rid of books your kids don't read any more while picking up a few new ones to have for the summer)
-Blow bubbles
-Draw with sidewalk chalk
-Have a "living room picnic" (Spread blankets on the living room floor & eat lunch there. My kids love to do this and it's great when it's too hot to go outside.)
-Have an outdoor scavenger hunt (Give the kids a list of things to find - certain colored leaves, flowers, sticks, etc. and see who can find all the items first!)
-Have a "play bath" (Sometimes, when it's too hot to play outside and the kids are bored, I let them play in the bathtub. To mix things up, I will sometimes give them bowls/spoons/measuring cups from the kitchen to play with.)
What other great summer-time activities do you do with your kids? I would LOVE to hear about them so I can add to my list!
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